Roll of Honor
Incident
Motorcycle Officer Joseph Lewis was fatally injured while chasing a speeder along St. Georges Avenue at Route 9 in Avenel at 8:20 am. His motorcycle crashed into another motorcycle and then hit a truck. He was transported to Perth Amboy Hospital, where he succumbed to his wounds 10 hours later. Motorcycle Officer Lewis served with the Woodbridge Police Department for eight years. He was survived by his wife, two sons, two daughters, two brothers, and a sister. His nephew was also serving with the Woodbridge Police Department at the time of his death, and his grandson went on to serve as a law enforcement officer. In 2022, the local concert venue was renamed the Joseph R. Lewis Concert Field.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife, two sons, two daughters, two brothers, and a sister.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-NJ-BA0107C3- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Motorcycle Officer Lewis gave the Woodbridge Police Department 8 years.
Thank you for your service to the Woodbridge community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Motorcycle Officer Lewis.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Motorcycle Officer Joseph Lewis is one of 10,088 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In NJ, 258 of 646 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 39.9% of this state's fallen. That is 8.9 percentage points above the national rate of 31%.
At Woodbridge Police Department, 2 of 2 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 100% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Joseph Lewis's cause is highlighted.
How Joseph Lewis Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Joseph Lewis is highlighted in Sep.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
1 officer from Woodbridge Police Department are honored on badge.nw.
